


The Wanderer

by sailortwilightt



Category: Legend of Zelda
Genre: F/M, I have so much planned for this, I love Zelda, Legend of Zelda - Freeform, Majora's Mask, Skyward Sword, The Wanderer, Twilight Princess, Wind Waker, sobs, zelink
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-28
Updated: 2016-04-12
Packaged: 2018-05-29 18:31:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 22,693
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6388000
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sailortwilightt/pseuds/sailortwilightt
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A young man who has been known as The Wanderer, travels through the lands and comes to the little land of Hyrule. When he bumps into a simple looking blonde girl who ends up being the depressed Princess of Hyrule, The Wanderer promises to take her away and bring her along in his travels. What the young travelers didn't know what that trouble followed the two and now they are involved in their own affairs that don't look too well.<br/>This is The Legend of Zelda: The Wanderer.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Living in Twilight

**Author's Note:**

> I know if you're a huge Zelda fan like me, you're probably gonna be a little upset with what I'm going to do and you'll probably want to tell me that there's different timelines and- I have the Hyrule Historia, so pls spare me.
> 
> I will be mixing up timelines a lot. there will be many games being mixed together, to give "The Wanderer" his justice. 
> 
> Games that will be explored:  
> -Twilight Princess (where it will start)  
> -Majora's Mask: Termina, Clock Town  
> -Wind Waker: The Great Sea & it's Islands  
> -Skyward Sword: Skyloft & the Islands 
> 
> At the beginning of every chapter, I will be stating where the story setting is and what game it's taking place in. 
> 
> If you have any other questions and concerns, please do it here. Also, if you have character requests you would like to see, please let me know here!
> 
> Something to keep in mind: I've only played the Wii version of Twilight Princess, so everything will be in that view.

•Hyrule Castle- Twilight Princess

"What are you doing?" I looked at the boy who spoke to me. He was clad in a green tunic, dirty blond hair, and striking blue eyes. He was a very attractive young man, a little over my height. He had a shield on his back and a sword in his sheath. He looked like a handsome warrior. 

I tried to speak to him, but for some reason, I couldn't find my voice. He stared at me for a while long, growing increasingly annoyed as I didn't respond. I screamed and shouted, but no voice of mine could be heard. In the end, he grew frustrated and mounted his horse, the began riding off. 

I would try and run after him, my words trying to reach him, my hand trying to pull him to wait. My own dress caught on a rock or some object with resulted me falling, and suddenly falling off a cliff. 

The sensation of falling is a horrible one. It felt like a breeze taking my breath away and everything was going up except me. I was almost to the ground, expecting everything to hurt.

I woke up with a gasp, sweating. 

"I had that dream again." I muttered, unsticking some hair from my face. I grabbed a tie from my nightstand and tied my hair up into a bun. 

It's been a reoccurring dream. The one with the boy dressed in green. I don't know what it means. I've tried talking to Impa, the only person I could trust with my dreams. She says it's about princesses past, just recollecting dreams about the past. 

But what does it mean? What do these dreams have anything to do with me? Hyrule has met peace for centuries now. Rulers, kings and queens before me have managed to lead the land of Hyrule to victory, away from all evil. 

So why am I having dreams about a green clad warrior? Is this a dream about an impending doom in the future? 

"Princess Zelda." The door to my bedroom opened and a maid came into the room. "Impa has sent me to wake you. You have to dress in your gown as you will be meeting with your advisers after breakfast. You also have an audience with a gentleman from Lake Hylia, regarding some construction he would like to do." I quietly sighed. 

"Thank you. I'll be down momentarily." I told the maid. She nodded and retreated from the room. I pulled my sheets off and sat up on my bed, putting my slippers on. 

I went to my bathroom and turned on the hot water in the shower. The steam fogs up the long mirror and and I push a sleeve of my sleeping gown off my shoulder. The sleeve slips and as did the rest of the dress off my body. I remove my undergarments and untie my hair, stepping into my hot shower. 

The hot water runs along my body and I start thinking about my dream from last night. He spoke to me, asking me what I was doing. I started to chase him and I tripped and started falling off a cliff. Would I never reach him? 

I finished my shower and started getting dressed, putting my gown on, without the armor. I tied my hair in a loose ponytail, my sideburns failed to join the ponytail. I placed my crown over my hair. 

I headed out down the stairs, through the halls and to the dining room. Red carpet rolling down the middle, a large fireplace, a large dining table that ran the length of the room, many chairs lined along it. Accommodating the royal family is a must- if they ever showed up, that is.

I took my seat on the singular width of the dining room table. A servant brought out a food cart, that held my breakfast, pitchers of drinks, etc. 

"Good morning, Princess." He vowed, before serving me my breakfast. I bowed my head. The servant excused himself and Impa arrived to the dining room. Impa was a tall and beautiful woman, proud of her Sheikah tribe she descended from. She came and stood behind my chair, to the right of me. 

"Good morning, Princess." She said. I bowed my head, chewing and swallowing my food before replying. If I had done anything else, I would have been scolded and told that "it's not princess-like to talk with my mouth full".

"Good morning, Impa." She bowed her head. 

"Good morning, Princess. I assume that the maid told you of today's plans?" She asked. I merely nodded, taking another bite out of my food. "The advisers are going to have a meeting today regarding any upcoming festivals and any changes they see fit to change under your rule." 

"I hear someone is visiting from Lake Hylia, who is it?"

"His name is Falbi. He mentioned something about building some sort of transportation from alongside the Great Bridge of Hylia, down to the lake itself." I hummed, trying to remember if I've seen the gentleman before. 

"When will his audience be?" I asked.

"Shortly after the audience with the advisers." I internally sighed. 

"Understood." The rest of breakfast continued on silently. I finished my breakfast and a servant came and picked up my dirty plates and silverware. I thanked him and he bowed, everyone who was in the dining room excused themselves, except for Impa. She pulled my chair from behind me and I stood, moving away from the chair. She pushed the chair in and stepped besides me, offering her palm to exit the dining room. I lead the way and she follows promptly behind. 

I exit and there are guards along the wall, bowing their heads to me as I passed. I nodded back, but I find it so hard to do this, because by the time I get to the Meet Room, my neck feels sore and heavy. I enter the room and take the most elegant seat, a red, mini-throne that sat in the middle of a long, intricately carved, wooden table. I ran my gloved fingers along the indents of the table, barely tracing the figures of vines and flowers as I go. Impa stepped forward and pulled the mini throne back, holding it available for me. I bow my head to her as a thank you and take my seat. Soon enough, there was a knock at the door and a knight stepped in.

"Princess, the advisers have arrived, shall I let them in?" He asked. I nodded.

"If you would, please." He nodded and stepped in, holding the door open for the elderly men and women that were entering the room. I stood up, holding my hands together in front of me, a proud and soft smile on my lips. 

"Ah, Princess Zelda, it's so lovely. Every time I see you, you look more lovely and brighter than your mother." Said a woman with long, white braided hair named Mayrin. They all wore white, hooded capes that were adorned with golden yarn towards the edges that shine of the Hylian design and crest. 

"She looks a lot like Daphnes, if you ask me." Countered one of the men named Merlo. He was bald but had a long white beard. There were four of them, two women and two men. They were are old, considered the royal, elder advisers. In all honestly, they like to nag and bicker among themselves, wasting most of my time, but it was entertaining either way. They continued to bicker about who I looked like, until Impa suggested me to take my seat so I could start the counsel. They took four seats across from me, looking at me with their wrinkled smiles. 

"Well, the spring season is coming soon, don't you think we should start planning for the Spring Fest?" The other woman started. She was Anette, with long black hair that was streaked with white. 

"What about a Spring Ball? It's been a while since we've had all the townspeople come into the castle." Said Mayrin. 

"A ball and a festival sounds nice." Said Toso, the last old man who had dark hair and a hairy face. 

"That consists of a lot of planning, how long would you want to have them apart?" Merlo asked. They were all conversing among themselves, but looked at me, awaiting my answer. I remained quiet, thinking over the festival and the ball. 

"Why don't we start the festival on a Saturday noon, then continue it until Friday evening. Once the festival is over, we can host the ball in our ball room." They all whispered among themselves before looking back at me. 

"Don't you think one week is too long for the festival?" Anette asked.

"It's usually only three days and the ball isn't until a week later." Said Mayrin. They all stared at me.

"I stick to what I've said. I feel like the Spring Fest has been too short recently, and it isn't until another long four months that we hold another short fest for the summer season. Let us have a little fun for a while." They stared at me before whispering to each other again. 

"What do you mean by 'us'?" Toso asked. Internally, I cringed. I always wanted to go to one of the fests, but because they were a little short, I was never to attend them. I wanted to extend the length of it, so I could attend it, but I also knew that the townspeople would like an extended fest. 

"The townspeople, of course, who else?" They stared at me again.

"And why would you like the ball to be so shortly after the Spring Fest?" Merlo asked. 

"What better way to end Spring Fest with the Spring Ball?" The women nodded but they began to converse between each other again. 

"Do you agree to her choices?" Impa asked, somewhat impatiently. They continued whispering before coming to silence, then old man one stood up. 

"We agree, however we need to start planning. The spring season is just around the corner and preparations are lengthy. Spring Fest will be with in a week, Spring Ball in two."

"Can it be masquerade themed?" I asked. One of the women laughed. 

"A masquerade ball? Sounds lovely and daring, let's do it." Said Mayrin. I smiled, happy they agreed. They discussed planning and budget funds, then spoke about how my late father raised such a wonderful daughter and princess. 

Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule. He stood by my since the day of my birth. My mother, Zaina Hyrule, passed shortly after giving birth to me. She caught some sort of infection, she caught a high fever and grew increasingly weak. Father tells me that the town doctor tried to help him as much as he could, but he couldn't do anything really.

Father did help me a lot when it came to being a princess. My father and my secondary caretaker, Impa of the Sheikah tribe. The Sheikah are a tribe of people that was established ages ago. The Era of the Sky, it was called. The Sheikah were the individuals chosen by the Goddess Hylia, to protect the Goddess and watch over the evil that roamed the land. 

History has gone through so much. The three golden goddesses; Din, the goddess of Power, Farore, the goddess of Courage, and Nayru, the goddess of Wisdom; made the world and left behind the Triforce. The Triforce; the omnipotent power that grants wishes to those who touch it and wield the power of the three goddess; was left in the hands of the Goddess Hylia. Goddess Hylia was the Triforce's protector, until evil arose under the name of Demise. Demise and his evil tried to take the Triforce, but the Goddess Hylia wouldn't permit such evils to touch the Triforce. A great war ensued, thus leading to the Sky Era, where the Goddess Hylia gathered up the remaining humans of the world and set up to go to the sky with a piece of land. 

That land became Skyloft. However, the evil didn't quit. Soon enough, Demise was set to revive again, ages after the Goddess had been reincarnated, in the form of a mortal being. The reincarnated Goddess Hylia and a hero set out to put Demise to rest, an ultimately did. Doing so, brought out the Triforce and the two wished for Demise to be sealed once more, and brought Skyloft back down to it's original place in the world. 

The Skies and Surface soon came to co-exist, as the reincarnated Goddess wanted to remain on the Surface. The Surface was named Hyrule and eventually, the people stopped traveling to the skies. The large birds that were known as Loftwings, went extinct, and the islands in the skies eroded away. The Cloud Barrier disappeared and the skies opened completely. The Goddess Hylia having been reincarnated a mortal, instead became royalty and became the queen, marrying the hero I would assume. 

Eventually, evil did come back and try to regain possession of the Triforce through a reincarnated evil called Ganondorf. In my time as the Princess of Hyrule, I have yet met with this evil, and I hope not to. 

The advisers stood up and bid me a farewell. I smiled and bade them farewell also, Impa pulling my seat out behind me and I stood. 

"It's about time those old people left. They were driving me a slight bit crazy." I giggled slightly. 

"Princess! Don't speak of your elders in such a way." She scolded me. I internally sighed. 

"Yes, forgive me." I apologized, bowing my head. 

"It's time with your audience with the gentleman, your Royal Highness." She motioned her hand towards the exit, bowing. I nodded and went towards the exit. She followed me and made our way to the throne room. The throne room was large and above the throne was a beautiful statues of the three goddesses with a sculpture of the Triforce in between all of them.

I made my way down to the throne and took my seat. Impa stood by my side, and guards started to fill up the room, for my protection. There was small chatter among the guards and then they grew quiet, as two new guards appeared, a gentleman in tow. 

"Her Royal Highness, Princess of Hyrule, Princess Zelda, has granted you the luxury of an audience. Please, come in." The gentleman thanked them, before walking down the carpet and up the stairs, the guards following him, until he was about ten feet away from me. He knelt down and bowed his head. 

"Your Royal Highness, Princess Zelda, I am Falbi, from Lake Hylia." I stood and curtsied. 

"Welcome to my castle, Falbi. Please, rise." He did rise and I was able to get a good look at him. He was a strange looking fellow, wearing a green dress shirt and orange dress pants, followed with a beer belly and sandals, red hair and beard. He was strange indeed, but he peaked my interest. "How do you do?" I asked of him. He gave a chuckle and a smile, tilting his head to the side.

"Mighty fine, Princess. How about yourself?" I couldn't help but smile. 

"I am doing swell, thank you. Now, I hear you want to start some construction in Lake Hylia. Would you like to brief me on what it is you want to do?" He nodded happily, pulling out a roll of parchment out of the inside of his shirt. He unwrapped it and held it up high, doing some jazz hand motion with his free hand on the other side of the parchment.

"Welcome to Falbi's Flight by Fowl! As you see cuccos are treasured animals with a temper here around Hyrule and I thought, 'Why not get down to visit Lanayru's shrine, along with the lovely lake, other than a cucco styled lift?'" I lifted my hand to my lips, hiding a smile and containing my laughter and composure. "It starts from the North Entrance of the Great Bridge of Hylia. Once you get onto the lift, it takes you down to the lake and you can enjoy the scenery and soak in the sun! The lift also brings you back up as well." 

"I'm very interested. Do you have all the necessary materials to create this lift?" I asked him. Impa gasped slightly, coming in close to probably tell me I should be against this, but I rose my hand, stopping her. I wasn't going to let her talk me out of this. 

"Yes, your Royal Highness. I have a man named Fyer who is very willing to help me with the project." It made me wonder how this gentleman looked like. I imagined someone like him, probably dressed in an orange shirt and green pants with the same beer belly. I rose my hand to my lips again, nodding. 

"Very well, Falbi." I lowered my hand. "Your request to start building Falbi's Flight by Fowl lift has been approved. Construction can begin as soon as you can and if you need any assistance, you're welcome to have some of the castle's handymen." Falbi gasped and smiled widely, jumping up and down. 

"Oh Princess! Thank you, thank you, so much! Whenever it's done, I'll send you an invitation so you can ride it yourself." He gave a wink. I nodded, smiling at his happiness.

"I'll take you on that offer." He nodded and bid his farewells. I told him the same and to have a safe trip home. Once they left the throne room, I felt a storm coming. 

"Princess Zelda!" Impa came to stand in front of me. "Did you really just allow that ridiculous idea?" She began to scold me, telling me there's a reason she stands besides me and that I'm supposed to speak with her before I make any choices whatsoever. She said that if people go down to the lake, they'll start to trash and litter destroy its natural beauty. 

"I hold the people of Hyrule to much better standards of course, but things get out of hand, Princess. You can't just decide to do things so rashly and especially, without my help!" I got scolded more before I was let go. 

"The skies are getting cloudy, so I recommend you inside the castle." She said, before leaving me as well. I was alone in the throne room, with several guards the the entrance. I sighed. 

"I never can do anything for myself, can I?" I mumbled silently. I stood up and made my way out of the throne room, a guard following me.

"Good afternoon, Princess. Impa has asked me to accompany you for the rest of the day, as she had errands to run." I sighed slightly. 

"Understood. I'll be going to my bedroom, and have lunch there." I told him. He nodded and had a neighboring guard follow. He spoke about what I was going to do, before sending him off to the kitchen. 

I made it up to my room and dressed in a more casual gown. A knock came at my door and one of the servants came in, bringing along a tray of food, setting it on the table of my room. 

"Thank you." I told the servant. He nodded and bowed. 

"My pleasure, Princess. Excuse me." He said, before leaving. The guard remained outside my door and that left me all alone. I sat by the window, sighing and looking out at the clouds. 

I wonder what it would be like out in Skyloft. Since they were up in the clouds, did they ever get storms? Was it always sunshine and flying through the clouds? I hummed, thinking about how my life would be if it was different. 

My life is colorless. I can't do things on my own, I can't voice my opinions, I can't make my own choices- It's depressing. Outside the window, it looked like I was living in perpetual twilight. And maybe I was, and didn't even realize it. 

The clouds rumbled with thunder and lightening illuminated the sky. A part of me thought I saw something running across the castle roofs, but the likelihood of that was impossible. 

"I just want a break from this depressing routine."


	2. Curious Kitten

•Hyrule Castle, Castle Town

A week has passed and I continued to dream about the young man in green. He had pointed ears like mine, dirty blond hair, and striking blue eyes that burned into me. He always tried to communicate with me but no matter how much I tried, my words never reached him.  

"What are you doing?" He asked me. I sighed, giving up all hopes in him ever hearing me. 

"Giving up." I replied tiredly. 

"Why?" His voice rang in my ears. I looked at him, my eyes wide. He spoke back. 

"It's nothing but rules and regulations, I can't speak a certain way, I can't act a certain way. I can't make a decision on my own." It all kind of spilled out. He stared at me, his blue eyes sparkling. 

"Well, why do you stay caged up? You're a beautiful bird, you should be free." I felt flushed. 

"What am I supposed to do?" I asked him. He gave a half smile that made my heart feel weird. 

"Come with me." He said, extended a gloved hand to me. I stared at his hand before looking up at him. I rose my hand slowly and our fingers touched. A little electricity ran through my hand and body. "Come with me, Princess Zelda." 

My eyes fluttered open to the warm light of the sun rising over the castle walls. I sat up, putting my hand to my cheek. I was hot, but I wasn't sweating. 

This is this first dream that I actually talk to the boy. Out of all the times, he usually gets annoyed and ends up riding away on his horse. This time was different, I didn't attempt to reach him, but giving up is exactly what got me to him. His voice was gentle and curious, and his ears- is he a Hylian as well? 

So many questions rose up and had me so preoccupied, that I didn't realize that Impa had come into my bedroom to awaken me. She waved her hand in front of my face before I managed to snap out of my daze and focus on her. 

"Princess, are you feeling all right?" She asked me, a concerned look over her face. I was a loss of words and slightly shook my head. She placed a hand on my cheek and forehead, humming. "You feel warm.. I think you should present to the townspeople that the Spring Festival can now begin and come back to rest." I simply nod, not wanting to tell Impa about my dream. 

Impa had always been by my side, as my guardian and my trusted friend. However, I feel as if I do tell her of my dream, she's going to approach it with the guardian side rather than the trusted friend. 

I peeled my sheets off and stepped out of bed, going to take a hot shower. The steam filled up the bathroom and I sighed deeply. 

"What does this mean?" I asked quietly. 

Once I finished showering, I dressed in a regular gown, leaving my hair untied. Shortly after, I was brought breakfast to bed. Lucky me, I guess I'm taking a sick day. I ate some breakfast at my desk and after a half hour, Impa came along with a servant. The servant took the dirty plates and Impa stood by my side. 

"How do you feel, Princess?" She asked. 

"Weak." I said with a sigh. I leaned into my hand, my elbow resting on the desk. "It's difficult to keep my eyes open." She frowned and sighed slightly. 

"There has been a lot of stress in you lately. After the announcement, take the day off, alright?" I looked over at her. 

"Are you sure?" I asked. She nodded. 

"The last thing we need is a sick princess." She gave a little wink. "Let's go to the balcony and announce." I smiled softly and stood up, following Impa out of my bedroom and down the hall. We went up a staircase that led to an open room, with a balcony that faced the front castle gardens. I could hear the whistles of the palace guards, trying to settle the commotion outside. The town people's chatter floated up to the window, dancing around me. How I wished I could be a part of that chatter. The chattering soon quieted down and Impa stepped outside. 

"Greetings, people of Castle Town, and welcome to Hyrule Castle. Today we are gathered for a special announcement from your Royal Highness, Princess of Hyrule, Princess Zelda." At cue, Impa turned her palm back towards me and that cued me in to walk out to the balcony. There were scattered gasps of children pointing, and mothers hushing them, telling them it's rude to point. The crowd started clapping and the guards began to blow their whistles, trying to shush them. I couldn't help but smile. I rose my palm up and the crowd silenced. The guards looked at each other and then up at me, giving a little sigh, before regaining their composure. I lowered my hand down to my lips, hiding a giggle. I placed my hands on the stone of the balcony. 

"My dear citizens of Castle Town, welcome! The Land of Hyrule has been through chaos and back, but the years have been recently calm. In honor of my late father, Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule, King of Hyrule, and the peace brought upon Hyrule with his effort and the effort of my ancestors' past, we will have this festival. The Spring Fest, as the spring season has now sprung and the world is full of newborn life. Today, Saturday, marks Day One of the Spring Fest; it will continue until this upcoming Friday evening. Come Friday, prepare your gowns and dress suits, ladies and gentlemen, because the Spring Ball will be the closing event to our Spring Fest on Saturday." They all muttered excitedly between themselves. "Now enjoy yourselves, my lovely citizens of Castle Town! It's the Spring Fest!" With that, they all broke into cheer and the castle doors that lead to the town opened, allowing all the townspeople to exit. They cheered "Spring Fest!" and others cheered my name. Catching a glimpse out the doors of the castle, I saw colorful balloons, banners, decorations. How I longed to go out there. 

"Princess." Impa set her hands on my shoulders, getting a startled jump out of me. She looked at me worriedly and I sighed. 

"Sorry, Impa." I said quietly.

"I didn't mean to startle you, Princess." She said, bowing apologetically. 

"Impa, it's all right, please stand." Impa straightened and nodded her head.

"The rest of your day is free, Princess. You're welcome to go back to your bedroom and rest for the rest of the day, if you're still not feeling well." She said. I silently sighed and made my way inside. Impa gave her apologies and said she had to go tend to something and had a guard escort me to my bedroom. I was escorted to my bedroom and I changed into a sleeping gown once the guard excused himself. I sat in bed, my hair tied up in a messy bun, awaiting for the servant to bring lunch.

"Excuse me, Princess." Said the servant as he came into my bedroom. I nodded to him, allowing him to come in and set my food on my desk. 

"Thank you." I said softly. He bowed. 

"It's my pleasure, Princess." He said with a little blush. I hummed slightly, a little smirk on my lips. I shrugged my shoulder a bit, letting the string of my gown slip. He rose from his bow, looking at me. 

"Hey, I have a request." I kept my soft voice. He blushed furiously red, nodding quickly, looking at me. Or should I say my shoulder? "You don't have to come back for my tray of food. Just come back at dinner and exchange it then, okay? I'll be sleeping until then." He gaped like a little fish.

"Y-Yes, P-Princess!" He said, bowing again and rushing out the room. I watched him go and couldn't help but laugh at his response. I began to eat my lunch and began to search my bookshelf, looking for something interesting to read. They were mostly some of my old textbooks and free time books, books that I was already used to. As I scanned the top shelf, there was one book that sat worn compared to the rest of the books. I pulled the book and there was a unlocking sound heard. What was that? I looked at the book and it was so worn out so much that I couldn't read the title cover. I looked at the bookshelf and it hitched slightly. I grabbed the edge of the bookshelf and pulled it slightly and it started to move towards me, like a door. Dust danced and the hinge of the bookshelf groaned. I looked behind the bookshelf and there was a dark passageway.

"What is this?" I asked quietly. I looked behind me and contemplated going down the dark passage. I did tell the servant boy that I was going to sleep the rest of the day away. I don't think anyone else would bother coming into my room.. Still, I can't risk it. I push the bookshelf back to it's original spot almost and go to my closet, grabbing some extra pillows and stuffing them under the blanket discreetly, to make it look like I'm under there. I went back to my closet again, looking for something I could pull over my sleeping gown and easily take off, in case I'm in a hurry to return to bed. I found some jeans and a casual t-shirt. How did these get in here, is a good question to probably ask, but I have something bigger to question right now. 

What does that tunnel lead to? 

I put the pants and shirt on and closed the curtains, locking the door. The servants never come up with keys, so in case I don't come back in time, they would have to go down and get the keys, before coming back. I look at the time, it was two in the afternoon, dinner was at eight. Before I put back the old book, I looked in the space it occupied and the space behind it. There was a small latch behind the bookshelf and there was a pressure lock where the book was supposed to be. I placed the book back where it was supposed to go and held down the latch, closing the bookshelf behind me. A row of torches suddenly light up, illuminating the way down the passage. The passage was going downwards and curved, out of my sight. 

Should I do it? I looked back to the bookshelf and then down at the passageway. I'll do it. 

I began walked down the passageway, and once it curved, it went straight again. There were some steps I went down, then it continued. After a what felt like I was walking an eternity, the passageway curved again and I was met with a dead end. The dead end didn't look so dead however. Warm light and smells were emanating from cracks in the wall. The closer I got to the wall, I realized that they weren't actually cracks, but the space between barrels. It was a doorway of barrels. I looked through the barrels and saw a tall, large, not that dark-skinned woman with dark braids tied up in a tail, cleaning the counter. Was I at the town's bar? 

•Telma's Bar, Castle Town 

I noticed that only one of the barrels had a black ring, dangling in the light. Was this the handle? I wanted to pull on it, but if I step out, she's going to recognize me. That gave me an idea. I can use magic to change my eye and hair color. 

In all honesty, I'm surprised as to how magic still runs in our blood. It's not much of what the Goddess Hylia or the three Golden Goddesses had, but I can still change my appearance to keep my identity safe if need be. I think this would be the perfect time to do so. My messy brunette hair that was in a bun slowly started to turn a golden blonde and my eyes turned a soft red. Impa taught me this technique in case a new evil showed up and I needed to escape. Usually, I would appear in Sheikah clothing similar to Impa's, but because I didn't complete the spell, only my hair and eye color changed.

I took grasp of the ring and I pull down, the door unlatched and I pushed forward. The hinge of the door groaned and the barrels creaked as I pushed. The woman stopped cleaning her counter and put a hand on her hip, staring at me once I've made my way through. I closed it behind me, taking a deep breath before turning to look at her. 

"Well, I'll be. If it ain't the Princess of Hyrule herself." She said with a smirk. "Doesn't seem to be an emergency by the way you're clothed. What brings you out of your castle, Princess? She asked, starting to clean her counter again. 

"I-I, uh, you... Are you not going to call the castle guards to take me away?" I asked. I should have guessed that she was going to know it was me. It's a passageway directly to my bedroom, for Hylia's sake. She put a hand on her hip, the other resting on the counter. 

"Now why would I do that?" She said with a frown. "If the Princess of Hyrule has come down the emergency escape path in casual clothing and not in a panicked rush, it means that she's snuck off, and probably for a good cause." 

"I'm sorry to intrude." I bowed. 

"Oh honey, it's alright." She said, finishing off the rest of her counter. She tossed her rag into a sink across the counter and wiped her hands on her apron. She came over to me and gave me a big hug, her overly sized breasts squeezing the wind out of me. She wrapped an arm around my shoulder and then extended her palm out to the surrounding area. "Welcome to Telma's bar, sweetie." The location was grand and antique looking, but nonetheless attractive. However, it looked quite empty. 

"Thank you, Telma, but where is everyone?" I asked. She chuckled and let go of me, beckoning me to follow her. She goes behind the bar counter and motions me to sit down on one of the stools in front of her. I do, watching her polish some glasses. 

"Poor girl, sounds like you don't have much knowledge outside your own castle walls." She said sympathetically. I rested my elbow on the counter, leaning into my hand.

"Unfortunately, I don't." I let out a sigh, and quickly covered my mouth. She looked at me curiously. 

"What's wrong honey?" She asked. I put my hands down, looking ashamed. 

"I'm not supposed to express my thoughts. It's bothersome to others and not princess-like." I glanced up at Telma through my blonde hair and she busted out laughing, slamming her hand on the counter. 

"Oh Hylia! ... You poor thing!" She cried. I didn't know whether I was supposed to feel embarrassed, ashamed or what, because her laughter confused me. 

"W-What?" I stammered. She tried to take deep breaths to calm herself down. It took her several minutes before she could actually answer me. 

"A bar is only open during the evening hours, honey. When all the men get off from work and need a drink before they can go home to their ladies and babes." She wiped a tear from her eye, still chuckling at me. I flushed; I feel embarrassed by the fact that I didn't even know that. Something white and and fluffy passed by my foot. I now realized I was barefoot and couldn't leave the bar without shoes. I looked down at the white fluffy thing and it looked up and meowed. 

"Oh look, a kitty." I said. The cat jumped onto the bar counter and meowed at me once more. 

"That there is Louise. He's a spoiled little kitten. He's very popular among the men who visit and is very friendly." Telma said, rubbing her hand across his head. The cat nuzzled against her hand and purred. 

"Does he bite? May I pet him?" I asked, watching her pet him. She smiled and shook her head. 

"No, little Louise is an angel. Go on, Louise, say hello." The cat started walking towards me and I rose my hand up nervously. My hand was inches away from the cat and the cat sniffed my hand, before nuzzling into it. "There ya go. See, it's not too bad." She smiled. I ran my fingers behind his ears and Louise tilted his head into my hand, purring happily. I smiled. 

"You're so adorable." I told him softly. Telma chuckled, before pulling up a stool on the other side of the counter. 

"So, what brings you out through the exit, Princess?" She asked. Now the curiosity began. 

"Well I was rummaging around my bookshelf and discovered how to unlock the bookshelf. I was curious as to what was down the passageway." I looked down at my clothing. "I'm supposed to be taking a sick day, and staying in bed, so no one would come and look for me until dinner time. I slipped on some old clothes I had hidden somewhere in my closet and headed down here. I didn't want to run into anyone in my night gown." I continued to pet and play with Louise's long hair, while Telma took the position I had taken, her elbows resting on her counter, leaning into her hands. 

"Who woulda thought that the Princess herself was a curious kitten." She smirked. "Well, let me tell you, Princess, your company ain't no bother to me. A precious gal like yourself is company I would take over these loony men any day." She smiled and winked at me. I blushed slightly. 

"Thanks Telma." I smiled softly. She nodded and we began to talk about my life and living in the castle. I told her I've never been allowed outside the castle walls; even though there hasn't been any evil roaming around lately, they insist for me to stay inside the castle walls. She sympathizes and begins to tell me all about what happens during Spring Fest. 

The first day, it's the Children's Day, the whole town participates in children's games. It's quite silly but Telma said that the adults get really into the games and start becoming competitive. Day two is the Musical Parade, the town band and orchestra walk around Castle Town playing music, then gather at the town center and play a concert. Afterwards, each instrumental group breaks out and starts teaching the children, sometimes even the adults to play the music. Day three, usually the last day of Spring Fest, consists of something that they call Black Friday, when all the shops go on sale. Not only that, but little shoppes come from different villages to sell their goods and items. Telma tells me that this is how the Spring Fest usually runs, but since it's been extended to a couple more days, the townspeople had to come up with more events. She tells me that a young lady named Agitha suggested we do a bug hunt around town and whoever catches the most out of all the bugs gets a prize. She heard rumor that some boys from Lake Hylia would bring along some amusement rides, but she wasn't sure of how true that was. 

We continued talking until there was a knock at the door. My heart sank. 

"Oh no, Telma, what do I do?" We both stood up from our seats and she came around the counter to stand besides me. 

"It's alright, don't fret. Look, just hide behind and under the counter. If whoever it is decides to come in, you won't be visible." She motioned her hands towards the counter. "It's too early to open anyhow." I did as I was told and hid in a spot where I think I box was supposed to go. I sat down and listened to her walk to the door, unlocking it. The door creaked open. 

"Who's craving for a drink at this hour?" She asked. There was a male's voice that responded and she gasped loudly. 

"Oh my goodness! Come in, please come in!" Exclaimed Telma. Whoever it was on the other side of the door was allowed in and Telma closed the door behind him, locking it back up. "It's nice to see you again, sugarplum. Hey! It's alright to come out! This boy is a good friend of mine." She called out to me. I hesitated coming out.

"Telma, who are you talking to?" The boy asked. The voice sounded vaguely familiar. 

"She's.. A friend of mine." She replied. "It's alright, come on out." I sighed slightly and crawled out of my hiding spot. I stood up and turned around to look at Telma and her companion. He had black and white shoes, tan colored pants, an emerald green hoodie, dirty blond hair and striking blue eyes.. I gasped. 

"You're him! You're the boy from my dreams!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sue me if thshe Zelda isn't portrayed as the Zelda in TP.


	3. Mischiefiousness

"You're the boy from my dreams!" Telma looked at me intrigued and the boy looked at me like I was insane. 

"Come sit." Telma said this to the both of us, motioning us to sit at the bar as she walked around to where I was. I sat down where I was previously, but the boy sat at the end of the counter, farthest away from me. I couldn't help but examine him; he was just like the boy from my dreams: the dirty blond, the striking blue eyes, the pointed ears. 

I know there's been rumor that the dreams that I have are memories from the princesses past and that they could mean something in the future. Could it be that I was destined to meet this boy?

"So you're saying you've seen my boy in your dreams before?" Telma asked. I looked at her and nodded. 

"Yes! I've been having this reoccurring dreams that have been bothering me for the past couple weeks. They usually all consist of the boy and myself; me trying to contact him, but he rides away in his horse. The only difference is that he's usually in a tunic and armor similar to the color of his sweater." I looked back at the boy and he was facing forward, but looking at me from the side. 

"I've.. Had the same type of dreams but I see a woman in a slim gown and brown hair." He says quietly. 

"You've had dreams about me?" I asked, turning towards him. His face flushed slightly and he rubbed his nose with a bandaged finger. 

"Yeah, I suppose, however you don't look like her. I would try and talk to her, but she always looked disinterested and I would leave her." He ran his hand through his hair, side glancing me again. "She was a princess, I think." Telma chuckled. 

"I think the two of you were destined to meet." We both looked at her. 

"What do you mean?" I asked her. 

"Well it's not every day that two people happen to have similar dreams about each other honey." She looked at me, then the boy. "Dreams always have significance. I remember hearing about centuries ago, the princess foretold an evil through a dream and we were able to fight against it."

"I didn't see any evil in my dreams, just him." She hummed. 

"Well I think that's wonderful. Maybe Hylia wanted you two to meet." She said, shrugging a bit. I blinked several times, sighing slightly. 

"It wasn't until I started making my way over here that my dream changed." The boy spoke up. "I wasn't going to talk to her but I did, and she responded this time." 

"'What are you doing?'" The boy looked at me, wide eyed. 

"'Giving up', she had said." I smiled a bit. 

"'Why?' The boy asked." His blue eyes twinkled with light. 

"You're really her." He said softly. I could help but chuckle a little. 

"I told you." I smiled. Telma cleared her throat and took us out of our moment. 

"I think it's about the time that you two introduced yourselves to each other." Telma picked up my hand and beckoned me to stand, then brought me over to sit besides the young man. I was embarrassed, but nonetheless, I took the seat besides him. 

"My name is Link." He said, offering his bandaged hand to me. I stared at it for a second before giving him my own hand. As soon as we touched, electricity ran through us and I was flooded with sudden flashbacks. 

There were large, different colored birds- Loftwings. A blue-purple one, a crimson colored one flying around the skies. The large, statue of the Goddess Hylia that came down from the sky to seal the evil of Demise and The Imprisoned. I looked down at myself and saw a white dress robe. In front of me was a boy with the same green uniform and armor. I looked up into his eyes and found striking blue eyes that snapped me back to reality.

We both stared at each other, our hands still in each other's grasp. 

"That was the statue of Goddess Hylia." I said quietly, looking away and pulled my hand back. 

"I guess you must have some relation to the reincarnate of the mortal Goddess Hylia." He said, I looked at him. 

"You saw it too?" I asked. He nodded. 

"Yes I did. I guess I have some relation to the hero of the past as well." He gave a smile and a little toothy chuckle. I blinked several times. Could he be related to the hero? "What's your name?" He asked. 

"My name?" He nodded. I glanced over at Telma, who was awaiting my answer as well, then back at the boy. "My name is.. Sheik." I glanced over at Telma and she simply nodded, before excusing herself to tend to some bar duties. 

"Sheik? What a strange name." I looked back at the boy and he was on the ground, sitting and playing with Louise. 

"Ah, y-yes, it's a derived name from the Sheikah tribe. You've heard of it before, haven't you?" I asked of him, watching as Lousie meowed happily while the boy petted him. 

"I don't know, but it sounds familiar." He slightly shrugged and continued playing with the long haired cat. The conversation between us died, but I watched as he played with Louise. The cat let out some meows and the boy chuckled.

"You get along with animals well, don't you?" I watched him as he stood up and wiped his hands on his hoodie.

"Yeah, I do. Do you like animals? You should meet my horse, Epona." He motioned his thumb out to the door. "She's out in the castle stables if you want to meet her." I looked to see where Telma was and she was disappeared into the bar pantries. I looked back at the boy and he was looking down at Louise. 

"A-Ah I would like to, but unfortunately, I don't have any shoes.." It wasn't my plan to leave the bar anyways. He looked down at my feet. 

"Oh no. You know what, I'll go out and buy you a pair." He went to his backpack that was placed on the floor by where he was sitting and he unzipped it, digging through it. He brought out a leather pouch, the sound of rupees moving around inside the pouch. 

"No, no, it's alright! Please don't trouble yourself with buying me shoes." He straightened and smiled at me. 

"It's no trouble. I'll be back, okay?" He started making his way to the door and I started following him. 

"Hey, no, wait!" 

"Just wait here, I'll be back!" He opened the door behind him and escaped before I could stop him. I ended up with the closed door in front of me, sighing. Telma came out of her bar pantry, laughing slightly. 

"He's a hardheaded one." She said, leaning onto her counter. "Hardheaded but he's the biggest sweetheart I know." She smiled. I gave a little sigh and came back to the counter, looking at the large clock that Telma had on her wall. 

"He's a sweet boy, but unfortunately, I have to go, Telma." She gave a little sigh but came over and hugged me again. 

"It was a pleasure having you here, Princess. I'm sure my boy would like to see you again, so try coming back tomorrow, alright honey?" She held me from the side now, rubbing her hand on my shoulder. I gave a slight chuckle. 

"No promises, but I'll try." We start making my way back to the barrel door and I tug on the ring that was the handle. 

"You be safe now, Princess." She bade me. 

"You as well, Telma. Please, give him my apologies and appreciation for having bought me some shoes." She nodded, giving me a warm smile. 

"Will do, honey." I step into the passageway and Telma beckons me to go forward and that she'll close the door. The lanterns on the wall light up and the door clanged behind me. I make my way up the passageway quicker now, soon coming into the back into the castle and finding myself at my bookcase once again. Before doing anything, I undid the spell, turning my eyes back to their natural blue and my brown hair. 

•Hyrule Castle, Castle Town

I pull down the little latch that unlocked the bookcase and push forward, the light from my room slowly seeping in. I step out from behind the bookcase and close it behind me, the lock clicking into place. And just then, there was a knock on my door and I jumped. 

"Princess? It's dinner time, may I come in?" It was the same servant boy from before. 

"O-One second!" I called out. I ran into my closet and almost ripped the shirt and pants off, then ran out of the closet before going to stand besides my bed. My breath was slightly labored due to the fright, but I think I could make something out of this. "C-Come in!" I called out gently. The boy tries the door and I had remembered I locked it. 

"Princess?" He calls out. I groan slightly and move some of my bed sheets and pillows around, making it seem I was getting out of bed. I came to the door and opened it, leaning on the wall slightly. 

"Sorry." I breathed out weakly. I was still shaken up from almost being caught that even my body was trembling. He looked at my shaking hand holding the door opened and flashed a worried expression. 

"Princess, are you feeling any better?" He asked, looking over me with dinner in his hands. I rose a trembling hand to move some loose hair behind my ear. 

"I-I'm not that good." I made a weak smile. "I'm sorry about the door.. I guess I locked the door while I was delirious from the fever." I stammered slightly. He hummed worriedly, placing my food tray where my lunch tray had been. He then comes to me and offers me his hand. 

"You shouldn't be standing, Princess." I stare at his hand for a second before placing mine in his and he leads me to my bed. My body tremors had ceased now, but I was still releasing an odd amount of body heat. I sat down in my bed and he beckoned me to lay down. 

"Thank you, a-ah, um.." My voice trailed off as I realized I didn't know his name. 

"Cyder. My name is Cyder." He said softly. I smiled gently at him. He was a smaller boy, probably in his teenage years like I was. His green eyes glowed in the light from my lamp and he had black hair that was a little overgrown but suited him nonetheless. His servant's uniform looked like it fit him a little bit large, but he tried his best by folding the sleeves several times. 

"Cyder, thank you." 

"It's my duty to serve you, Princess. I'll notify Impa and tell her that you're still feeling ill. Eat your dinner at your own leisure and I will be back in the morning with breakfast." I brought my feet up into the bed and he pulled the blanket over me and even brought the dinner tray to the bed. 

"Thank you again Cyder." He nodded and bowed slightly. 

"Good night Princess."

"Good night Cyder." He picked up my lunch tray and excused himself, turning the lights down for me. Once the door closed, I pulled the blankets off me and went to the bookshelf, picking up the book that held the pressure lock closed. I brought the worn book to bed with me and sat cross legged, eating my dinner as I skimmed through the book. It looked like it was a book of songs, along with some history. 

It told of a time in the past, it told of the Hero of Time. He was a boy from the forest that was called forth by the Princess. The Princess asked the forest boy to help her gather the three Spiritual Stones, and he did so. As soon as he returned to see the Princess, an evil had risen and she had to escape with her servant, leaving behind a precious item, the Ocarina of Time. The Princess taught the boy the Song of Time that he would play at the Temple of Time, once having put the three Spiritual Stones in their corresponding positions. Once the song was played, the Door of Time opened to the Master Sword. Unbeknownst of what would happen, the boy pulled the sword from its pedestal and opened the door to the Sacred Realm that held the Triforce. The evil had followed the boy and gained access to the Triforce, wishing to rule the land of Hyrule and brought evil over the land. Doing so, the evil only attained the Triforce of Power, the other two Triforces, the Triforce of Wisdom and the Triforce of Courage, scattered. 

The boy was worthy of drawing the Master Sword, but due to being so young, the sword sealed him in the Sacred Realm for seven long years.. And after the seven years, the boy was no longer a boy, but a young man who was to awaken the Six Sages of the Sacred Realm and lift the curses placed on all temples with the aid of a Sheikah tribe descendant. 

As the hero saved the temples and awoke the sages, they awarded him with a medallion, that would add to his power. As the hero now had all six sages restored, he would be able to open the Sacred Realm once again. As he arrived at the Temple of Time within the ruined Castle Town, the Princess revealed to be the same Sheikah descendant that had aided him in his quest and the Seventh Sage. With having revealed her true identity as the Princess of Hyrule and bearer of the Triforce of Wisdom, the evil kidnapped her, beckoning the hero to come and rescue her, revealing that the boy himself was the bearer of the Triforce of Courage. 

The hero went to the evil's castle and battled many evil creatures and in the end, had a long battle with the evil himself, destroying him and with the aid of the six sages, sealed him in the Sacred Realm. The hero was triumphant but this meant that the Princess and the hero had to go back in time and prevent the evil from gaining any power. The evil was sealed in the Sacred Realm before he could even try to start to plot to overthrow the Royal Family.

The rest of the book were songs that aided the hero during his quest. Some were songs that had magical effects and it looked like the others were some sort of transportation songs that would warp them to another location. Some of the songs were the Song of Time, the Sun's Song, Song of Storms; these songs would make a change of a blue block appear or make the sun shine or the clouds pour. Another song was the Princess' lullaby, that held some magical power and was recognized around the land of Hyrule. Even I recognized it if I heard it. Another song was the Steed's Song, sounding pretty familiar to the lullaby. Apparently the hero's steed would always appear when the hero played the tune. 

Eventually I grew tired of reading the book and placed it in its respective place on the shelf. I go back to bed and place the food tray on my desk, before going into bed and falling asleep. 

My dreams that night were full of the the mortal reincarnate of the Goddess Hylia and her life with the hero. They seemed to be the best of friends in the small little town in the skies. She had the blue large Loftwing and the boy had a seemingly rare crimson Loftwing. There was an exam that was being held that would make the winner a knight and eligible to patrol the night skies. There seemed to be a group of three boys, a large one with a perky pompous looking hairdo, a skinny strange one and a short, round boy, who tried to sabotage the competition by hiding away the crimson Loftwing. Eventually, the reincarnate and the boy found it and were able to start the exam. The boy was triumphant and a ceremony was held over the statue of the Goddess Hylia that seemed intimate between the two of them. The two went into the skies to ride since the weather had been beautiful that day, floating around the clouds. 

"There's something I've been meaning to talk to you about..." She started but suddenly, the clouds below them ripped open, revealing a black tornado that sucked the girl in and pulled her down to the Surface. 

The girl screamed and reached out for for the boy on the crimson Loftwing, but the tornado pulled her under the cloud barrier, and consequently, I woke up screaming as well. 

"Princess!" My eyes shot open and I was sitting up, panting and drenched in sweat. Impa was standing on my bedside, looking worriedly over me. "Princess, what was it? Was it a dream about the evil?" She asked in a demanding tone. I shook my head, bringing some hair behind my ear- I was trembling again. 

"No.. I was just dreaming of the reincarnated Goddess Hylia." I replied quietly. She sighed in relief, sitting across from me on the bed. 

"The servant boy told me last night that you still were feeling ill. Why don't you just stay in bed and rest up? With this week's festivities, there's not much for you to do anyways." Cyder. I guess he did pass the message on to Impa. 

"Thank you, Impa." She nodded and I laid back down. 

"I'll ask the boy to bring you breakfast shortly, then lunch will be at two. Dinner will be at eight." I nodded. 

"Thank you again, Impa." I said softly. She smiled at me and then excused herself from my bedroom. 

Lunch is at two and dinner is at eight. Cyder is always prompt when bringing me my meals so that gives me roughly around six hours to explore Castle Town once Cyder leaves. 

Fifteen minutes passed and there was a knock on my door. It was Cyder with breakfast. 

"Good morning, Princess." He said cheerfully. "Are you feeling any better?" I sat up in my bed, smiling softly. 

"Not that much better, but slightly, yes." He smiled. 

"Well, feeling somewhat better is better than feeling bad!" He chuckled and brought my breakfast tray to my bed. He placed it besides me, before stepping away. 

"Thank you, Cyder." He blushed slightly. 

"It's my duty to serve you, Princess." He smiled. "Well, I'll let you rest a little longer. Eat at your leisure and I'll be back at two promptly with lunch." He bowed slightly and excused himself out of my bedroom. 

The hours between breakfast and lunch were long. I ended up eating all my breakfast and took a shower, even took another nap and decided to read some book about the creatures called Gorons and the Zoras. 

When two o'clock struck, my door was stuck with knocks. 

"May I come in, Princess?" Cyder asked. 

"Yes." I called out to him. I was sitting at my desk, the text open in front of me. He brought my lunch tray to me and picked up the breakfast tray. 

"Feeling any better?" He asked. I nodded, smiling. 

"Yes, a little, thank you." He nodded with a smile and excused himself from the bedroom. As soon as his footsteps disappeared down the hall, I locked the door and made a run towards the closet, picking up the same clothes that I had worn last night. I removed my sleeping gown and placed the pants and shirt on, feeling a lot more comfortable with just the clothes on and not a gown in between.

I go to the bookcase and pull out the book of songs and the door unlocks. I pull the bookcase back and place the book in it's spot and make my way behind it. I hold down the latch and pull the door bookcase closed, releasing the latch gently. I start making my way down the passageway quickly, casting the spell to change my hair and eye color, before making it to Telma's bar.


	4. Musical Parade

• Telma's Bar, Castle Town

I peeked through the crevices of the barrels and I saw that Telma was alone. I grabbed the door handle and pushed the door forward. The door gave it's usual creak and groan, grabbing Telma's attention.

"Welcome back, Princess." She said, putting her hand to her hip. I closed the door and bounded over to her with a giggle.

"Thank you Telma." I smiled and she chuckled, giving me a crushing side hug.

"Oh!" She pulled away and went behind the bar counter, picking something off the ground and put it behind her before I could see what she had. "My boy brought these for you." She brought her hand from behind her and showed me a pair of dark brown, handmade moccasins. I gasped, taking them in my hands.

"Oh Goddess. They're adorable." I told her. I placed them on the floor and slipped my feet into the shoes, bending my knee and lifting the stretch material and pulling it over my heel. I placed my foot down and gasp slightly. "They fit perfectly." I put the other shoe and and twisted my foot, showing them off to Telma.

"They look great on you." Telma winked at me.

"I'll have to thank him for these when I see him again." I couldn't stop looking at them. They fit so perfectly and looked so cute! Telma chuckled slightly and I could hear the door to the bar rattling open.

"Well, be sure to tell him yourself." I looked at her and she motioned over to the door, where the boy with the green hoodie was coming in. He closed the door, locking it behind him before noticing me.

"Sheik! Hey, you disappeared last night and I couldn't give you your shoes." He came over to me and looked at my feet. "So, what do you think? Do you like them?"

"Like them? Absolutely!" He smiled.

"That's great!" I couldn't help but smile as well, a blush settling on my cheeks.

"Say Link, why don't you take Miss Sheik out to town? Today's the Musical Parade so there will be lots of music and celebration." Telma suggested.

"Really? Can I go?" I asked. The boy chuckled.

"Well, why not? Do you want to go?" He asked. My mind told me that I really shouldn't, but my heart was screaming at me.

"Yes, please, I would love to." I almost begged. He nodded and started heading to the door again.

"Well let's go! It's about to start." He unlocked the door and I followed behind.

"You kids be safe out there and have fun!" She called.

"We will, thanks Telma!" I smiled, looking back at her as the boy held the door open for me.

"Be back before eight, alright?" I nodded and we exited, the boy closing the door behind him.

• Castle Town

We were in an alley that led out to an open area. The sun's glare as soon as we stepped out temporarily blinded me.

"Ah, the sun's bright." I lifted my hand over my eyes, shielding them from the strong sunlight. "Where are we?" I asked, looking at the shadow of the boy.

"Do you not go out much?" He asked. I squinted my eyes, trying to get used to light.

"Not often," I looked down, bringing my hands together in front of me. "My guardian usually never lets me out of my.. Home." I glanced up at him through the blonde bangs and I could see a frown on his lips.

"Well, I'll show you around." He said, showing a soft smile. "Come on, tag along." I followed him up the steps and saw nothing but shops that lined the street.

"Wow!"

"This is the South Road, or the town's market!" He pointed over to the double doors behind us. "That's the South Entrance to Hyrule Field." We walked down the street and the merchants would call out to us.

"Apples! Fresh apples! On sale all week!"

"Baked bread and pastries! We have your favorite at a discounted price."

"Hey, who runs that little flower shop over there?" I asked, pointing to a shop that had carts full of pretty flowers of all kinds, but wasseemingly empty.

"I have no idea, but any time I visit, this store is always deserted." He reached over and grabbed a daisy, before turning to me and giving it to me sheepishly. "For you." He said, a slight blush taking over his cheeks. I blushed as well, taking the flower from him and placing it in my hair.

"Thank you." I smiled softly and he nodded, pulling a blue rupee out of his pocket and placing it in a little basket that was sitting at the corner of the carts. We continued down the South Road until it lead us to the Central Square. My breath was taken away.

The Center Square was beautiful and much more larger than I expected. There was a large, round fountain bearing the Hylian crest proudly, the clear water sparkling in the sun. There was a cafe bar to my left that had an outdoor patio with chairs and tables, next to that, some shops and an exit to the West Road. There were many colorful balloons and banners that were hung around, making the Castle Town very lovely. There were many groups of people with many different instruments gathered and scattered around the center, practicing among themselves.

"What's going to happen?" I leaned towards the boy, raising my voice slightly so he could he me over all the noise.

"They are practicing for the parade! They're going to start exiting right here through the West Road, then follow the little back road, stop at South Road's exit, before continuing down the back road of East Street, in front of the East entrance then back to the Center Square. They'll play a little concert for the people to dance and then they'll spread off into their own instrumental groups and teach the children to play music." His eyes brightened and his smiled as he spoke.

"You're not from here, are you?" He stared at me before a blush settled on his cheeks and the tips of his ears turned pink.

"No, I'm originally from Ordon." He said, looking down sheepishly. He motioned to sit in the ledge of the fountain as we waited for the parade to start. "The farm life is a lot more different than the city life.. I was tired of living the same schedule every single day, so I left home."

"And you came here?" He shook his head.

"Castle Town was probably the second place I came to. I went to Kakariko Village first, then I came here. I arrived here, it wast the Spring Fest last year." He watched as some small children ran around the fountain, laughing and chasing each other. I examined him watch the children and I could see there was some sense of longing in his eyes. "I met Telma and she invited me to come back next year once the festival was over. She lets me spend my nights at her bar." I chuckled.

"Telma seems like she's a very nice woman." He nodded.

"She really is. How did you meet her?" He asked.

"O-Oh, I was sneaking away from home and needed a quick place to hide.." I looked down, bringing a hand to move my hair behind my ear.

"I assume your parents are really strict on you?" I hesitated before answering.

"Both my parents have passed." I looked up at him.

"Oh. I-I'm sorry." He quickly looked down as I met his gaze, but I smiled softly, waving my hand.

"No, it's alright, don't worry." I looked up at the blue skies and white clouds. "What about you? Do you have a family?" I asked softly.

"I.. Have a family, but not my parents. I lived on my own back at home, but the whole village was practically my family." I hummed.

"Having some family is better than none. My guardian is supposed to be my family, but she's taken more the role of a caretaker more than my family." I sighed slightly. He kicked his feet at the tiled concrete floor, before standing.

"Well, the parade is about to start, so shall we go?" He asked. I smiled softly and stood.

"Yes, let's go." We see the group of band and orchestra members gathering up by the West Road entrance and we stand behind them with another group of people we were happily chatting. The trumpets rang, startling me. He snickered at me for laughing and I blushed for having been frightened. The music starts to come to life among the group and my breath was taken away. There was a large amount of assorted instruments that sounded a lot like magic.

We started making our way down West Road, other townspeople moving to the sides of the street to allow the parade to go through. The West Road exit to Hyrule Field looked dark and gloomy and I think that this was where the town medic stayed too. We continued down the back streets of West Road and we passed by more people, a house with a patio full of many colorful cats and made a stop in front of the South Road exit gate. The vendors' commotions came to a halt as they played their music, I think I even saw Telma standing outside the alley of where her bar was.

We continued down to the back roads of East Road. We passed by a fortune teller, the girl who's known as the "Bug Princess" and her castle. We continued down the back streets towards East Road and we passed by the East exit gate and the stables, where the boy pointed out his horse. The horse's coat was a deep chestnut and her mane was oddly white. The colors of her seemed a bit odd, but she was very appealing to the eye nevertheless. The horse neighed as we passed by and he jogged over to where the horse was and patted her muzzle adoringly. I waited for him, the music of the of the parade fading into the distance as they made it to the Center Square. He motioned me over and I followed, standing behind him as he petted her.

"Sheik, this is Epona." He said with a smile, moving to the side so she could see me. I wasn't particularly afraid of animals, but I was always hesitant to meet a new animal in fear that they would attack me.

"Hi Epona." I said, raising my hand slightly, palm down, so she could smell me. She sniffed my hand and then lowered her muzzle under my hand, placing my hand on top of her muzzle to pet her. The boy chuckled.

"She wants you to pet her." He said. I blushed slightly and rubbed her muzzle gently.

"You're a very pretty horse, Epona." I said, removing my hand. She gave a happy neigh and I giggled slightly.

"Come on, lets go catch up to the parade." He said and we began walking to the Center Square. Once we made it, we saw that the band and orchestra had gathered into a group and were playing music for the townspeople. Many people have gathered together now and we clapping and dancing along to the music. We stood alongside the group and then an older gentleman came and offered me his hand to dance. I blushed slightly, but took his hand and he brought me over to the group that was dancing. I looked back at the boy and he had a wide smile.

The music began a new beat, mostly orchestral, and he brought one hand to my hip and the other held my hand. The music was more folk like and it looks like the townspeople knew how to dance it. I didn't know of this music, but it somehow engulfed me and I was able to move with the music. People danced around us and many others clapped, the boy being one of the clappers. The older gentleman let me go and it seems like we needed to switch partners and I looked over at him, going over and offering my hand for him to dance.

"I don't dance." He said, lifting his hand up in apology. I giggled slightly, before I was taken away my a younger gentleman now, dancing and moving to the pace of the lively music. I spun and my voice laughed happily until we needed switch partners again.

"Come on!" I called out to the boy. He rose his hand in apology again, but the first gentleman that had asked me to dance pushed him into the crowd. The old man laughed as Link glared at him and I swept his hand up, dragging him over to the crowd, making him my new dance partner. We linked arms and danced in circles, in formation with the rest of the group. I couldn't stop laughing, I was enjoying this so much and I guess my joy passed over to Link that even he was smiling and chuckling here and there.

The music built up and the townspeople cheered, clapped and rooted as I soon came to notice that we were the only two in the middle of the dance floor. The music continued to envelop me and I didn't want to stop. The music continued to build up and grew louder and Link spun me around him several times before he suddenly swept his arm around my waist and dipped me over, leaving me to quickly wrap my arm around his shoulder and one foot up in the air. The music came to it's end and there was a silence as we both stared at each other, panting.

The crowd burst into applause and we both grew conscious of each other in the position we were in and tried to get out. However, that attempt failed as the one foot that was on the ground, slipped, and brought me down to the ground after Link had let me go. I fell onto my behind, but my laughter bubbled up inside me. The others laughed, probably at me and not with me, but it made me happy as to be in such outside, non-royal conditions.

"Sheik, are you okay? I'm so sorry!" He rushed to my side, offering to help me up. I laughed, waving my hand.

"It's alright! I'm a little hurt, but it was all so enjoyable." I took the hands he offered and stood, dusting my behind off.

"Sorry, I thought you were standing." He mumbled. I shook my head.

"Link, don't be sorry! I said it was okay!" He tilted his head to the side, giving a chuckle.

"Alright, fine." He gave up.

As I stood behind him, I noticed that he was slightly taller than me and his left ear lobe was pierced by a small, bright blue hoop that was mostly left unseen by his hair. I heard some laughter behind us and I noticed that some elderly women were staring at us and talking among themselves.

"They are such a cute couple, aren't they?" I heard one of them say. I blushed brightly, looking away from the old women and Link.

"Do you play any instruments?" Link asked, oblivious to what the old women were saying. He was looking at the musicians that split into their own individual instrument groups.

"I, um, sort of know how to play the harp, although I don't have much practice with it." I said, trying to calm myself down, going to sit on a nearby bench. "How about you?" He followed down and sat down besides me, looking over at me with a smile. He reached into his hoodie pocket and pulled out a small rectangular, wooden case. He opened in and inside was a black, slick harmonica.

"I do." He said, pulling the harmonica out carefully. It was beautiful, although antique looking. It had golden engravings all around the black and it had the Hylian crest over the middle of it.

"Was this item passed down?" I asked curiously. He simply nodded, before placing it to his lips, playing some notes. He then started playing a theme that sounded very familiar to me- It was the Princess' Lullaby. "How.. How do you know this tune?" I asked him. He lowered the harmonica from his lips and he flipped the item in his hands several times.

"I don't know, honestly. I've heard the theme a lot in my dreams, so I've just learned how to play it." He looked up at me. "I assume you know where it's from?"

"That's the Princess' Lullaby, that's the song that's passed down by the royal family and is known by people who are in some way related to them."

"You know it then?" He asked. I nodded and we remained silent for some time, until he started to play music on his harmonica again.

"Hey Link?" He brought his harmonica down and looked over at me. "You said you're originally from the Ordona province, then what made you leave?" He looked away from me, up at the skies that were beginning to turn a pink-orange.

"I was tired of the farm life. It was the same schedule every day; helping with the goats, playing with the children.. There was never anything exciting that happened at home. I wanted something different, a change in my life. I didn't want a 'normal routine' to my life. So I packed up and left. I left home and I traveled all over our land of Hyrule. I've explored the many corners of this land that traveling merchants probably don't know about. I've even found another land that's quite parallel to ours. A great sea that holds many islands- I've seen so much in these past years." His eyes shone like that of a boy's who was curious for adventure.

"Wow, that sounds.. Amazing." My voice was soft and my eyes soon traveled off to examine the skies. "I wish I could do something like that."

"It's really fulfilling, you should try it sometime." His voice was gentle and smooth. I don't know what it was, but whenever I'm with this boy, he makes me feel.. At such ease. I'm comfortable with him, like I could tell him all my secrets and about my life- but I can't tell him one.

"Is the outside world beautiful?" I could tell he looked at me and examined me for a while before looking up at the clouds again.

"It is, very much. There's Faron Woods, Lake Hylia, the bridge of Eldin- it's very refreshing."

"I'll have to go one of these days." My voice probably sounded hopeless. A sigh escaped my lips as I stood up. "As much as I would love to stay, unfortunately I have to go. You should stay, I'll go." I turn towards the South Road, before he grabs my wrist, stopping me.

"Wait, will I see you again tomorrow?" He asked. My response wanted to be 'yes', but I couldn't promise.

"No promises, but I'll try." I looked into his blue eyes and he nodded, letting me go.

"Well, see you later, Sheik." I smiled softly.

"Good bye Link." I replied, before making my way down the South Road and quickly through all the shoppers and vendors and to Telma's bar. I knocked on the door and Telma opened it for me, allowing me inside.

•Telma's Bar, Castle Town

"Welcome back, how was it?" She asked.

"It was wonderful, I loved it so much. Link and I danced during the parade and I accidentally fell and people laughed at me." Telma chuckled.

"Enjoyable because people laughed at you? I'm glad you had fun, honey." She looked over at her clock. "It's about time you start heading back home."

"Ugh, I don't want to go." We both walk over to the barrels and I pulled the handle, opening the door.

"Just try to come back as soon as possible." She smiled. I exhaled, pouting slightly.

"I'll try." She base me a good bye and closed the door behind me once I went in. I took my shoes off and left them by the door, not willing to risk them being seen in my closet. I quickly go up the passageway and through the door and back into my normal world.


	5. The Bug Off and Carnical

• Telma's Bar, Castle Town

"How long are you staying here?" I asked Link. We were sitting at Telma's bar counter, waiting for the Carnival to begin. He brought a hand to his chin, humming slightly.

"Well, originally I was going to stay only three days, the three days that the Spring Festival usually lasts, but Telma told me that the Princess extended it for a couple days longer and so I guess I'm staying until the end of the festival." He replied. 

"Are you going to stay for the ball?" I poked at him, knowing what his response was going to be.

"I don't dance." He answered, giving me a look, giving me a flashback of the Musical Parade. I giggled slightly.

"Come on, it'll be fun." He shook his head.

"Nope. I always leave the last day of the festival. I've already pushed my plans back by two days. I can't push it back any longer." I pouted slightly.

"No fair. What plans do you have?" I asked him. He hummed thoughtfully.

"Well, I have to go home to pick something up, then I want to go travelling again."

"Travel? Where to?" He shrugged slightly.

"I want to go down to Lake Hylia again, enjoy the lake waters and some peace. Probably visit my Zora friends again."

"You've actually made friends with the Zoras?" I asked excitedly. He chuckled at my enthusiasm and nodded, beginning to explain to me how he became friends with them.

Let me retrace a couple of our steps, shall we?

• Hyrule Castle, Castle Town ; Flashback

The day of the Musical Parade, I made my way back to the castle in time for me to take a shower and get dressed for dinner. When Cyder came in, he brought me my dinner and stayed, striking some conversation from me, sitting at the end of the bed.

"Are you feeling better, Princess?" I bobbed my head side to side.

"Slightly better. I do feel rather tired however." I replied to him.

"Do you always stay in the castle?" He asked after a while. "Like.. Do you ever get to go outside?" I exhaled a little bit, realizing that even the servants have noticed that I am not allowed to go out.

"Not usually. Peace has been so good around Hyrule, however this peace keeps Impa on edge, keeping her paranoid that if I get let out, some evil is going to come and get me." He nodded silently, not looking up at me. He probably didn't want to show me any of his pity. "Cyder, where are you from?" I asked him. He looked up at me startled, probably surprised as to why I'm questioning him about his life.

"I-I'm from Kakariko Village." He replied after a while.

"Is it pretty there?" I questioned him. He nodded slightly.

"It's a really bland town, seeing as it's at the bottom of Death Mountain, so it's like a town in a canyon. Dirt and tumbleweeds everywhere." He didn't look at me, but I could tell that he missed his home by the way he spoke about it. "The townspeople are so nice, even the Goron people come down and sell us some of their goods and relax at our hot springs."

"You've met with the Goron people?" He nodded.

"They're quite strange, mostly males, but they're strong, tanned, built people with a tribal looking tattoo on their arms." He made motions with his hand that made me laugh slightly. He continued to tell me about his hometown, telling me that he came to work in Hyrule Castle to earn some money to support his family back at home.

"Well, I hope that one of these days, you can get a day off and go back to Kakariko and visit your family." I smiled. He blushed but nodded.

"Yes, I hope so too." He smiled with me and looked at his watch. "Looks like I have to excuse myself, Princess. Eat your dinner at your own leisure and I will be back in the morning with breakfast. Have good evening, Princess." He stood up and bowed, excusing himself from my bedroom with my lunch tray.

The next morning, Impa didn't even bother coming upstairs to notify me that I was still having my sick leave.

"Impa told me to pass on to you that she needed to run some errands and couldn't come up to see you. She said to eat as much as you can and rest as much as you can." He placed my breakfast tray in my bed and took up my dinner place. "I'm sorry, but I won't be able to stay and chat today. There's some chores I have to run, but I'll be able to talk tonight after I bring dinner, is that okay?" I smiled and nodded.

"Yes, of course, thank you." He excused himself and the hours dragged on until he brought me my lunch. As for lunch, he didn't stay either, so I ate what I could and headed down to Telma's.

• Telma's Bar, Castle Town ; Flashback

"So it's a Bug Off?" I asked. Telma and Link nodded.

"Agitha is the 'Bug Princess'. Any little bug you find, she'll accept it." Link said.

"I heard that there's a point system that's based off of how large the bugs you catch." Telma added.

"Also, there's the thing about the golden ones. She extremely prefers the golden ones, although those are really hard to find." I hummed thoughtfully.

"Will this be like in teams or every individual for themselves?"

"Teams. The team size varies, depending on age. Children can go in groups of four or five, but adults can only go in with a pair." Telma answered. I looked over at Link.

"Would you like to be my partner Link?" He gave a little smile.

"I'm not bragging but you picked the best partner."

"That's bragging Link." I said, laughing.

"Nets will be provided at the town square so off you go!" Telma said, shooing us out of the bar.

•Castle Town ; Flashback

We went to the Center Square and there was a small green tent. Inside, there was a girl with short, blonde pigtails, a cute pink dress with bugs sewn on it and am umbrella to shield her from the light.

"Wow! You look like a big, green grasshopper!" The girl exclaimed about Link's green hoodie once we arrived. "My name is Princess Agitha. Would you two like to helps gather the pretty bugs of Hyrule's Castle Town?" She asked, giving a little curtsy. I gave a curtsy myself and Link gave a formal bow to her.

"Yes, we would like to be a part of your event." Link said. Agitha smiled and reached behind her, grabbing two nets from a vase of many nets.

"How lovely! Here are two nets for you and your partner. Try and catch the biggest bugs you can. Golden bugs give you extra points. If you catch three golden bugs.." She dangled her three fingers in front of us. "You win first place."

"What's first prize?" I asked.

"The golden bug trophy!" Agitha showed it to us, hugging and rubbing it against her face.

"It's so beautiful." She whispered. Link and I silently looked at each other then back at Agitha, laughing quietly. Agitha regained her composure and put the golden trophy down. "The Bug Off starts in half an hour and it ends in four. Good luck, and may the odds be in your favor!" She gave another curtsy, dismissing us.

The Bug Off soon began and the crowds all over Center Square began running with loud commotion everywhere. It wasn't until they realized that the bugs are sensitive to sound was when they all quieted down. It was probably the quietest day of all in Castle Town that day, besides the small chatter and music around the Center Square.

Together, Link and I had gotten ten bugs, and two golden bugs by the end of the Bug Off. We didn't win first prize, but we got second prize, which Agitha didn't want to let go either, the silver bug trophy. First prize went to some children and bronze prize went to a group of three girls who kept oddly staring at Link and would make a little "kyaaa~!" sound whenever Link noticed them.

That night I had to disappear on Link while he was checking up on Epona, but Telma said she would pass on my apologies.

•Hyrule Castle, Castle Town ; Flashback

Cyder visited me again that evening, staying to chat.

"If you could go any place, Princess, where would it be?" He asked me. I shrugged slightly, humming thoughtfully.

"Probably Lake Hylia. I just approved some construction there that I would really like to see."

"I've never met a Zora person before. Do you still think they look like fish and stuff?"

We passed about half an hour talking about how Zora's might have developed and changed over time, just like the Gorons did. We came up and laughed about a bunch of theories, but in the end, we couldn't really stick to one.

"It was nice talking to you, Princess." He was standing now, ready to leave. He held the lunch tray in front of him, looking down at it.

"It was a pleasure talking to you as well, Cyder." I smiled. He peeked up through his hair as I smiled and he jumped slightly, a blush covering his cheeks.

"W-Well, good night Princess."

"Good night Cyder." He dismissed himself from my bedroom.

The next day, it was the same like the previous one, Cyder telling me that Impa wasn't going to be able to see me due to errands.

"I think they're prepping for the Masquerade Ball."

"Are you going?" I asked, trying to keep my excitement down to a minimum.

"Yes, but I won't be able to dance. I have to serve the guests. And you as well." I frowned slightly.

"I don't even think I'll be able to dance either." I gave a sympathetic laugh.

•Telma's Bar, Castle Town ; Present Time

"I bet it would be fun to travel." I leaned my chin into my hand as my elbows rested on the bar counter. 

"Well, why don't you come with me?" Link asked me. I looked over at him. He was tracing some shapes on the bar counter, his fingers no longer bandaged up.

"I would love to." I said quietly and his electric blue eyes caught mine.

"Well, come with me." He whispered. I felt like his blue eyes were hypnotizing and could look into me, so I broke away, looking down at the bar counter.

"I-I can't." Now I started to trace some shapes on the bar counter, my face feeling flushed. There was a silence between us, until Telma came out of her pantry.

"Why don't you kids go to the carnival? It's outside of Castle Town's south gate." Telma said, coming behind her bar counter.

"Outside Castle Town?" I repeated, my voice a slight pitch higher as my uncertainty grew.

"It's alright. There will be guards standing all around, just in case. It's not so far outside, just after the stairs on the fields surrounding the town." Telma reassured me. I nodded nervously, trying to gulp down my nervousness.

"Do you want to go?" Link asked me. I avoided looking at him.

"I do.. But I've never been outside the town gates before." I muttered, embarrassed.

"It's okay, I'll be with you." Link reassured me. I looked between Telma and him and nodded. We got up and made our way out the door, Telma calling out for us to be careful.

• South Exit, Hyrule Field

There was music playing as we stepped out of the town gates. A small band had gathered just outside, playing some music similar to the Musical Parade's. We continued down the stairs and I was greeted by a lot of things: a merry-go-round, a Ferris wheel, a photo booth, a popcorn and cotton candy stand, clowns that made balloons and entertainment for the children, and even some games for the adults to play.

"Wow." My breath was taken away. "It's so beautiful!" I said, taking it all in.

"What do you want to do first?" Link asked me.

"I don't know, there's so much to choose from!"

The merry-go-round was adorable and there were horses that moved up and down, spinning teacups and a carriage type box that didn't move. We rode the horses first, next going on the spinning teacups. We both span the center wheel as fast as we could and we couldn't stop laughing, that once we got off, the whole world was spinning faster than it was supposed to.

Next, we tried the cotton candy.

"What is this? Is this even safe to eat?" I asked as a Link passed me a ball of pink colored cotton on a stick. He chuckled.

"It's candy. You mean you've never had any?" He questioned me. I blushed slightly, shaking my head.

"No, I haven't." I said with a pout.

"Go on, try it then!" He said, getting his own baby blue colored ball of cotton on a stick. I watched as he picked a piece off the ball with his fingers and stuck it in his mouth. I copied him, picking some off my own ball of cotton. I hesitantly placed it on my tongue and closed my mouth. It started to fizz and melt on my tongue and I was able to savor the sugary goodness of it.

"Oh my Hylia, this is amazing!" I exclaimed, putting some more in my mouth.

We finished our candy and we started playing some games. There was one where you had to pick up a hammer and you had to hammer down on some pad as hard as you could and hit the bell at the top of the tower. If you manage to hit the pad hard enough to send the puck up to hit the bell, we get a prize.

"Step right up, young man and test your strength!" The man at the game called out to Link. "Make the puck hit the bell and you get a prize!"

"What's the prize?" Link asks, analyzing the puck and the hammer.

"You and your girlfriend get to take some free pictures at the photo booth." He said with a smile. We both jumped and looked at each other with reddened faces.

"He's not..! I'm not..!"

"She isn't..! She's actually..!"

"Yeah, yeah." He said with a smile as he waved his hand. "Just test your strength and we will see if you win! . . . That is, if you're not afraid of losing." He gave a smirk and Link narrowed his eyes.

"I accept your challenge sir." Link said before picking up the hammer and easily swinging it over his shoulder.

"If you win, you walk away with a free photo booth ticket. If you lose, you have to pay the twenty rupees to take the pictures at the photo booth." Link gave a confident huff and steadied himself to it the pad. As if he was a lumberjack who was going to chop some wood, he swung the hammer perfectly and hit the pad with a "boom". The puck shot up and the bell rang with a loud shrill. A miniature alarm rang, notifying the nearby people of Link's success. I jumped excitedly, clapping.

"Well, would you look at that. We have a strong man here!" He called out to the others. Link had a proud smile on his face as he put the hammer down on the ground. The man reached into his little fanny pack he had latched around his waist, pulling out a little ticket. "Alright, as promised, here's your ticket for the photo booth." He gave Link a tanned ticket.

"Thank you."

"Wow, that was incredible Link!" I said, clapping slightly. He rose a hand to the back of his head, chuckling slightly.

"I used to cut wood back at home for the fireplaces." I giggled.

"Well at least that skill came in handy!" I smiled.

"Do you wanna go take some pictures?" He asked, holding the ticket between his index finger and middle.

"Yes, let's go." I said, taking the ticket from him and grabbing a hold of his wrist and walking to the photo booth. As we did, I saw someone who looked strangely familiar.

"Falbi, is that you?" I asked. Red hair combed upwards like a droplet and a short crop green shirt with puffy orange pants. The man turned around, showing me a bare beer belly with tattoos. "Why, it is you! How's the construction going on with your Flight by Fowl?"

"It's almost quite done actually! It needs a couple more tune ups before it's open to the public." He gave a smile, before looking me up and down. "However, I don't recall meeting anyone from Castle Town and telling them my plans.." Oh shoot. I laughed nervously.

"Well, it looks like we have to go! It was a pleasure seeing you Falbi!" I called as I turned to push Link towards the photo booth. He remained silent until we arrived at the photo booth.

"You don't mind if we take pictures, do you?" I asked him. He gave me a little half smile.

"I don't mind." I smiled and put the ticket he gave me into a little slot in the photo booth wall. I pulled the curtains of the photo booth and entered, taking a seat in the small boxed room. Link came in behind me and sat besides me. We were sitting side by side and I don't know why, but my heart was feeling rushed.

The monitor of the photo booth began to speak to us, telling us to look at the camera below the screen, not at the screen itself. It told us to 'smile!' and started counting down from three. As being so close to each other and feeling so awkward, I couldn't help but to simply smile. I probably looked embarrassed. It showed us the picture and I could see that Link was making a face at me and had two fingers behind my head as visible bunny ears. I gasped loudly, looking at him.

"Link! That was not funny!" I rose my hands up to play hit him and he started laughing. I tried to mess his hair up and I eventually hear the photo booth monitor count 'one' and the snap of another picture being taken. We both looked at the screen and I blushed at the image.

There was a smile- a real, actual smile on my face. I didn't know that I was capable of having such a strong emotion visible on my face like that.

"Ready?" The monitor spoke as we were supposed to prep for our next photo.

"Three." Link nudged me with his elbow and I looked over at him.

"Two." He had his fingers pulling the corners of his mouth out and his eyes crossed.

"One." I burst out laughing as he stuck his tongue out and made a noise.

"Smile!" The next image was me laughing, crying at Link's expression. I wiped the tears that had slipped from my eyes and I tried to breath again.

"Last one!" The monitor spoke.

"We have to make this one a good one." Link said, wiggling besides me.

"Three!"

"You mean the last two weren't good enough?" I asked with a chuckle. He smiled at me and shook his head.

"Two!"

"We always save the best for last!" He replied, wrapping an arm around my shoulder.

"One!" I immediately began to blush and he rose up his hands in peace signs.

"Smile!"

"Come on!" In the end, I couldn't figure out what to do, so I covered my face, blushing tremendously.

"Perfect!" The monitor spoke. "Your prints will be out momentarily. Please wait outside the booth." We stepped out, the two of us laughing.

"Why did you cover your face?"

"You were unexpected!" He smiled and we heard the machine call us back. Under where we placed the ticket, two pieces of film paper we laying side by side. Link picked them up carefully and handed one to me. They were fresh and in color and my heart swelled so much seeing them all.

"How about we ride the Ferris wheel?" Link asked. Unable to answer, I nodded and followed as he led the way. I couldn't help but stare at them as we stood in line for the Ferris wheel and until we had to go into the carriage was when I peeled my eyes away from them.

"Watch your step." Link said and he offered his hand to support me as I went inside. The carriage tipped slightly as I went in and sat, but evened out as soon as Link came in and sat across from me. Since we were the last to board, we soon began to ascend slowly.

The skies were beginning to turn a pink orange as the sun started to set, the clouds a white-pink.

"Wow." I barely said with a whisper. My hands were in my lap, holding the film carefully in my fingers. I looked down at it with a smile. "Serves as a wonderful memory for when.. For when you leave." My voice grew quieter as I reached the end of my sentence.

Yes.. This was only temporary. Link was only going to stay for a couple days. He wasn't a resident of Castle Town. That and I can't be sick for ever and always sneak out of the castle. He was going to leave the day of the ball and he was going to go travel Hyrule, while I remained in Hyrule Castle. This was an event that happened just this year, just this once.

"Hey, are you okay?" I blinked and I looked up at him.

"W-What do you mean?" My voice faltered.

"You're crying."


	6. The Masquerade Ball

•Hyrule Castle, Castle Town

I had to leave Link as quickly as I could after the Ferris wheel ride. I was a wreck all because I started thinking about Link having to leave. He did try to chase after me but I lost him in the crowd and managed to get back to the castle.

I retreated back to the recesses of my secluded castle, going into take a shower. I was exhausted.. More emotionally than physically. I laid in bed, pretending to be asleep as Cyder came in and brought me my dinner tray. I wasn't in the mood to socialize or eat either. Cyder silently entered my room and exited just as quietly.

The next day, it was the Black Friday event in town, but I had no chance to escape to see Link or Telma. It was right after lunch where some women came into my room and started taking measurements of me. Impa came in behind them, crossing her arms and watching as they measured me.

"The servant boy told me that you fell asleep before dinner last night. Are you still feeling ill, Princess?" The seamstresses held my arms up, forbidding me to look at Impa as I tried to speak to her.

"I wasn't feeling well then, but I'm quite all right now." I replied to her.

"If you don't feel well, you do not have to attend the ball." Should I go to the ball? I don't really feel like socializing or being stuffed into a tight dress or getting makeup or anything done. "Princess Zelda." Impa snapped me out of my thoughts and I looked over at her.

"Yes?" I asked. One of the seamstresses looked up at me and turned my head to look forward.

"Princess, I'm sorry, but please look forward." I took in a deep breath, holding in a sigh I would probably be scolded for.

"It is all right. I will go." Maybe the music and everything will make me forget about him. Impa nodded and left as the ladies continued to do their measurements on me.

Eventually they finished and left me alone for a while, until they came back with a simple pink, tight fitting fabric gown.

"Enunciate her chest, her hips.." They muttered and started marking on the gown and taking it off me before leaving me alone.

The rest of the day remained quite the same, with them running back and forth, adding more marks and fabric. I lost count how many times they had came to me.

"Princess, is everything okay?" One of the seamstresses asked.

"I'm sorry?" I asked, not having been paying attention to what she was talking about.

"Is everything okay? You usually are really excited about the Spring Ball, but this year, you seem rather distant." She commented, kneeling down to mark on the fabric to determine the length of the dress.

"Yes, I am okay." I reassured her. "My mind is just a little lost in the clouds." I gave a small smile and she nodded, quietly talking to the other seamstress about the dress.

"Your dress has finally been fitted, so now we'll start designing it, Princess. We won't be bothering you any further." They bowed and exited my bedroom. It wasn't ten minutes until there was more knocking at my door.

"Princess! We've come to bathe and prepare your skin for tomorrow!" Two younger girls came into my room now, dragging me out of my bed and to the restroom. While one stripped me of my clothing, the other girl began preparing the bath water.

They talked among themselves, talking about home and just gossip around the town. The two of them looked alike, however one did look slightly older than the other. They actually looked quite similar to Cyder- I wonder if these girls would be Cyder's younger siblings?

They pampered me with lavender smelling soaps and washed my hair carefully. They put facial cleaning masks on me and rubbed my body down with oils. They brought me out of the bath and patted me dry, before starting to wax any body hair that was on me. I think I winced once and one of the girls giggled.

"Sorry Princess, but beauty is pain!" They continued to work on my body and by the end of the day, I was left sparkly clean and so relaxed that I was able to fall asleep comfortably.

That night, my dreams were full of golden bugs, cotton candy and carnival rides. However, there was one thing that was different- my dream was all in black and white. I couldn't see the color in anything and I started to panic. It wasn't until I felt an electric pulse in my hand that I flinched, brining my hands to my chest and looking at the source of my pain. It was Link.

He said nothing but just offered his hand to me. I stared at his hand and looked into his eyes. He was black and white too, everything except for his electric blue eyes.

"Take my hand." Is what his eyes read. I lowered my hand and placed it in his and the world burst into color. When my dream had been silent and eerie, holding Link's hand had colored the world, even bringing along the lovely carnival music.

His grip around my hand gave a gentle squeeze and I looked over at him. He remained silent but gave me a charming smile, before he started to pull me towards the rides. We were both wearing casual clothing, but then our clothes started to change and I noticed I was in a ball gown and he was in a formal dress wear. Before I knew it, we were running away from the ball festivities.

My eyes fluttered open, tears threatening to fall. I sat up, bringing my fingers to my eyes, swiping my tears away. I went to the restroom, splashing water in my face.

"Enough Zelda, snap out of it. He's leaving today." I glared at myself in the mirror and there was knocking at my door that pulled me away from my thoughts.

The two girls from last night stepped into my bedroom. "Good morning Princess!" Cyder was behind them too, with breakfast. I now noticed the uncanny resemblance- the same hair color and sparkly green eyes.

"Good morning." He added, not as loudly as the two girls.

"Good morning everyone." I told them as I stepped out of the restroom. Cyder placed my breakfast tray on my study table, while the girls were bringing up boxes that contained make up and hair accessories.

"We're responsible for primping you up and dressing you for the ball, Princess!" The older girl stepped out of the room and brought a large body bag that contained my ball gown. I took in a deep breath.

"Eat breakfast and we will start with your makeup!" The younger girl spoke. While I ate breakfast the two girls kept running back and forth from my room and down the hall, bringing things into my large restroom and setting the items on the vanity. They finished and excused themselves momentarily while I finished my breakfast.

"Princess?" I looked towards my bedroom door, seeing Cyder standing outside.

"Yes Cyder?" He shuffled into my room, looking down at his feet, his hands behind my back.

"I just want to say.. I hope you have fun at tonight's ball. I wish I could be able to take you out and dance, but.. Duties call." He looked up at me, a blush possessing his cheeks. I couldn't help but smile gently at him.

"Thank you Cyder. That's really thoughtful of you." He nodded quickly, shuffling from one foot to another.

"Since I won't be able to compliment on how you will look tonight, I.. I brought you this." He pulls out from behind him a beautiful red rose.

"Oh Cyder." I take the rose from him and smile softly. "Thank you so much." He nods, the blush reaching the tips of his ears. There was an empty vase that I had stashed under my restroom sinks, so I went and unearthed it, filling it halfway with water and placing the rose in the water, then going back into my bedroom and placing it on my study desk.

"I-I hope you enjoy yourself tonight, Princess." He bows.

"Thank you Cyder. I hope you like it as well." He smiled at me and offered to take my breakfast tray. I allowed him to take it and as he stepped out, the two other girls came in, one of them holding a box that contained my mask for tonight.

It was a beautiful, white ivory mask, several white roses adorned the right side of it, a ribbon and other little flowers surrounded the roses.

"The prettiest mask for the prettiest Princess." I chuckled, flushing slightly and they brought me to the restroom, into a simple gown similar to the gown the seamstresses had put me in.

"We shall put the rest of the dress on after we do your hair and makeup." They sat me down in a chair, my back facing towards the mirror.

"Let the magic begin." The youngest girl said as she picked up a brush and started to run it across a palette and then onto my face.

The two of them spent hours on my face and hair. I even dozed off when they had asked me to close my eyes. I had lost all sense of time, until there was a knock that startled the three of us.

"It's time for lunch." Cyder called.

"Don't come in here Cyder!" The small child in front of me barked.

"Carmine, not in front of the Princess."

"Cela, it's okay, I'm sure the Princess wouldn't want Cyder to see her either." My eyes fluttered open. Looking at the two of them. The younger one was still in front of me, looking at my colored eyelids and not at me actually.

"I'll go get the Princess' lunch." Cela excused herself from my hair and went out to the bedroom.

"You're almost done." Carmine said with a smile. She jumped back and forth from foot to foot. "You're looking so good, I can't wait to dress you and put your mask on." She said giddily. I couldn't help but smile.

"You're Cyder's siblings, aren't you?" She tilted her head to side, humming thoughtfully.

"Is it really that noticeable?" She asked. I nodded.

"Your green eyes are all very captivating." She giggled.

"Mama always said we had Papa's eyes."

"Did you two girls come with Cyder as well, to help you parents?" She nodded.

"Papa's a sick man. He lost his eyes in an accident and we were kind of left with no money after Papa's surgery." My smile slightly faltered.

"Oh no, I'm sorry." I said, beginning to frown.

"It's no problem, Princess. With the three of us working, we are no longer in debt and we even managed to have extra money saved in case of emergencies." Cela soon came in with my lunch, a large one at that. "Plus, we really all enjoy working for you, so we decided to stay." She gave a wide smile.

"The youngest is the loudest." Cela teased. Carmine glared at her older sister, before shrugging her off. On my lunch tray, there were many mini sandwiches, too many for me even.

"Would you like some?" I asked, taking a bite out of a sandwich I picked up. They looked at me.

"Are you sure?" They both asked. I nodded.

"Yes, of course. Cyder packed way too much for me anyways." I smiled and they happily took some sandwiches, humming gratefully.

"These are so good!" I giggled slightly and we continued to eat. After we finished, the girls continued to work on me. It was about half an hour later, they finished.

"Done. Now we have to dress you." Cela got the dress bag and unzipped it, showing separate pieces of a dress that are attachable to the plain gown they had put me in.

The skirt of the gown had a small flexible cage and it was layered and ruffled to touch the floor. A shorter tassel hung from the top of my skirt and to the end of the first top layer. The dress was backless now and the colors were very light pinks and creams. The girls rose the shoulder plates onto my shoulders, then sat me down, bringing another box out that contained my shoes. They were golden gladiator pump boots that made it barely to my knees.

They opened the box to my mask and asked me to close eyes. They placed the mask on, another ribbon string holding it to my face. Cela undid the hair rolls she put in my hair and my brunette was in beautiful curls, hiding it over the ribbon that held down the mask. They laid down some last touches with my lips and hair, before I was able to open my eyes again.

"Oh goddesses, you look amazing." Carmine says. I laugh softly, eager to see myself in the mirror. She offers her hand to me and helps me stand. Before she turns me around, they fix my dress and little and tell me to close my eyes.

"Alright, three, two, one.." They turned me around and told me to open my eyes and I was speechless.

They made me look like a goddess.

"Wow. Thank you so much ladies, I love it." I squealed quietly and they smiled.

"Well, let's go, Princess. We have a Masquerade Ball to show off at." Carmine said with a smirk.

•Large Ball Room, Hyrule Castle

The ball room was full of guests adorning dresses and masks of many different colors and styles. Everyone was smiling and happily chatting. The ball room was decorated beautifully, with many cream white flowers of different species and candles. The band and orchestra were to the right of the hall, practising slightly. The large food table was to the right of the hall, close to the ballroom kitchen. The dance floor was in the middle, round tables surrounding the square are for the guests to sit. However, I couldn't see much of the decoration as to me being stuck at the throne.

There were two guards behind me, two in front and Impa at my side, in slightly more formal uniform. She stood up and the band silenced and as did the rest of the crowd.

"Ladies and gentlemen, lovely citizens of Hyrule, we welcome you to Hyrule's Seventeenth Royal Spring Ball. Her Royal Highness, Princess of Hyrule, Princess Zelda, would like to welcome you." She bowed slightly and offered her hand for me to stand. The crowd began to clap and I rose my hand in appreciation.

"Citizens of Hyrule, thank you so much for joining me today at our Seventeenth Royal Spring Ball. Seventeen years ago, I, the Princess of Hyrule was born to the late King and Queen, Daphnes and Zaina Hyrule. As celebration, the King made this Spring Ball to commemorate my birth, but also as a memoir for the Queen's death. Let us take a moment of silence to pay our respects." I bowed my head, as did the rest of crowd. A minute passed and I rose my head. "But let us not grieve about the passing of our King and Queen, but celebrate for our Era of Peace, as I'm sure my parents would want us to. Welcome to our Annual Spring Ball and have fun!" The music sprung to life and the crowd cheered, starting to grab their partners and go to the dance floor.

It was nice, seeing everyone so happy here, enjoying the music and everyone else's company. I have a happy sigh, scanning the crowd.

He's not here. My smile faltered but I had to force myself to keep it. Of course he's not here. Why would he? He said he had to leave and he doesn't dance.. I didn't even get to say a proper good bye.. I looked down, cursing some tears away.

I had managed to get the blue eyed boy out of my mind. Why did he decide to come back into my mind now? I looked back up at the crowd and there was something that caught my eyes that I had to double take on.

A large tanned woman with barely a mask and a dress on was waving at me. I couldn't help but smile and wave my fingers back at her. It was Telma. She started pointing towards me, mouthing something I couldn't make out. I started to scan the crowd towards where she was pointing and I saw some of the dancing couples making way for someone walking towards us.

There was a young man, wearing a black suit jacket and a light green and white striped shirt that was folded very rather informally to his elbows. An emerald green loose tie hanging around his neck, black dress pants and.. Black and white sneakers. The boy kept his head down and I noticed dirty blond locks.

My heart's rate started to increase. He passed the dancing crowds and stood at the bottom of the small staircase that led to my throne, catching the attention of the guards and Impa. The boy kneeled down, raising a hand to his chest as the guards crossed their spears in front of him. Impa stood, placing herself in front of me, the other two guards coming besides me.

"Boy! Who do you think you are?" Impa called to him. The music suddenly came to a halt and everyone was now focused on the boy and us. The boy remained still before looking up at me. The boy had a wolf's mask, black and gray with eyes that were proud and wild.. Like a feral beast.

"My name is Link and I would like to request a dance with Princess Zelda." He spoke. The crowd started whispering and Impa scoffed, but I stood up, stopping her from speaking.

"Princess!" Impa demanded, confused by my actions.

"It is all right, Impa." I reassured her, never breaking eye contact with the boy. "Guards, at ease." The guards looked back at Impa, then me, then straightened, bringing their spears away from the kneeling boy.

"Princess, what's the meaning of this?" Impa hissed demandingly.

"Princess Zelda accepts your invitation." I say to the boy, pulling my dress and curtsying. "Please rise." I tell the boy as I straightened. He stood and came up several steps, offering me his hand and I placed mine in his. He held my hand high, bringing me down the steps and to the center of the dance floor. The crowd spread apart, awaiting our next move.

He placed a hand on my hip and I placed a hand on his shoulder and the music slowly began.

We started to step back and forth, swaying to the music. We couldn't keep our eyes away from each other as the people around us stared.

"You came." I spoke first. He gave me a crooked smile.

"Telma made me come along. I can't say I'm used to dressing this way." He looked down at his clothing.

"Remind me to thank her when I see her again." That is, if I do get to speak to her.

"So you're a Princess?" He spoke after a while. I looked down, slightly ashamed.

"Yes, I'm sorry that I didn't tell you. I was afraid you were going to treat me differently if I had told you." He shook his head.

"No, it's okay. But it explains as to why your guardian doesn't allow you outside." He motioned over to Impa who was fiercely scolding the guards and glaring us down. I couldn't help but giggle slightly at the sight of it.

"She's.. A little overprotective." He looked at me.

"A little?" We both shared a laugh. As we began to turn while dancing, I noticed that around us, others were now smiling and joining in to dance with us, although keeping their slight distance. I couldn't help but smile myself and looked down at Link's casual formal wear, before looking at him. His blue eyes kept staring into me that my cheeks started to grow warm.

"Is there something wrong with my costume?" I asked quietly. He shook his head.

"No, you look beautiful." My heart was really losing control now. "Your beauty can't compare to the three Golden Goddess." I looked down, my face feeling extremely flushed.

"Link, stop it." I spoke sheepishly. He leaned his head besides mine.

"I'm not lying, Princess." He whispered to me. I gave a weary sigh but smiled nonetheless.

"Just shut up and dance with me." He smiled and we started to spin and circulate in the middle circle the other dancing crowd had separated for us.

"You know I don't dance." He replied with a wolf like smirk and I laughed.

No words were spoken between us afterwards, only our eyes and smiles spoke for us as we danced. My mind continued to dance, but the dance in my mind slowly started to stop and my smile began to drop.

"It's.. Unfortunate that you have to leave so soon. I really enjoyed your company." I looked down, staring down at his chest. My hand's grip on his hand and shoulder had unconsciously tightened on him, as if I could hold him to stay.

"I've gotten quite used to being around you as well." He replied.

"I wish you could stay. Don't leave." I begged quietly, looking up at him. He smiled weakly, looking down at me slightly.

"You know I can't stay." A knot began to form in my throat and my eyes began to burn with an emotion that shouldn't be seen in public. "Come with me." I stiffened.

"W.. What?" I looked up at him, startled.

"Come with me." He repeated.

"G-Go with you? Link, you know I can't. I'm the Princess." I whispered back, looking warily at the crowd.

"Run away with me. I'll take you to travel with me along the lands of Hyrule. I'll take you everywhere."

"Link, I-"

"It won't be a pampered living, traveling with me, but it will get you away from this chained up cage." The music and the chatter of the party started to slowly become louder. The knot I had in my throat was suddenly becoming thicker.

"I.. I can't breathe.." I stammered.

"Tonight is my last night in Castle Town. You know where to find me tonight after the ball if you want to come with me." My chest tightened and my knees buckled and everything went dark.

•Third POV

The crowd gasped and immediately dispersed as the Princess had fallen into the arms of the blue eyed boy. The music was cut short and Impa and her four guards quickly ran to her. The blue eyed boy slipped his arm under the Princess' other arm and swept his other arm under her legs, bringing her up to a bridal style carry.

Impa was the first to arrive at the scene, motioning the boy out of the hall and lead him into another room. It was a study that was down the hall to the ballroom, quiet and secluded. Two guards stepped in with Impa, the Princess and the boy, while the remaining two stayed outside.

The boy went to one of the couches and set the Princess down, propping some pillows up behind her head. As soon as the boy stood up and turned to look at the Princess' guardian, she pushed him back towards the door, sending the two guards that were standing in front of it to scatter in panic. Impa held a small, sleek item to the boy's neck, right over his Adam's apple, that reflected the moonlight that shone into the room. She glared at him, seething with anger.

"What did you do to her?" She demanded. The blue eyed boy just narrowed his eyes at her.

"What makes you think that I did something to her?" He spat at the guardian. Impa pressed the blade against his skin.

"No brat has the audacity to summon himself to the Princess." The boy huffed. "Who sent you? What are you attempting to do?"

"I don't have to answer to you." The boy replied back. Impa was beginning to lose her patience.

"Don't play coy with me, you brat!"

• Zelda's POV

I heard Impa talking very ill-mannered to someone as I started to come back into consciousness. My eyes started to flutter open, focusing on my dark surroundings. We were in the study room, the moonlight illuminating two guards that stood by a desk, shaking and looking towards the door. As I followed their gaze, I noticed Link was pinned up against the wall and Impa holding a blade to his neck.

"Impa, no!" Before I knew it, I had found myself pushing Impa and standing defensively in front of Link with my arms spread out.

"Princess Zelda! What is the meaning of this?" She demanded.

"Do not hurt this boy Impa or I swear on my life, I'll-"

"You can't trust that boy, you've never met him before! He could be ev-"

"Impa, enough!" I cried. "I trust this boy very much, I trust him with my life!" The grip on her knife loosened slightly but she glared at me.

"How can you trust him Princess?"

"I've seen this boy in my dreams!" I spat at her. Her eyes widened at my response.

"What?" She gasped.

"He was clad in green and held the sword."

"I guess that explains as to why I had the dreams of you being the Goddess' reincarnate.. You're related to her through royalty." Link spoke behind me.

"You too?" Impa asked Link. He just nodded at her and Impa looked between the two of us.

"Then you must leave. Immediately." I looked over at Impa. She was looking down, her gaze in a shadow and her fists clenched.

"Impa? What's the matter?" Her blade had been sheathed now and she came closer to us, bringing me away from Link. "Impa." I rose my voice at her.

"Princess, if the Hero's reincarnate is here, this means no good news for us." She looked at me, before looking at Link. "As for you Hero, I bid you farewell and the guards here will see you to your exit."

"Impa, what's the meaning of-"

"Princess, you have a ball to attend to and guests that are very concerned about your wellbeing." She spoke firmly. She looked to the guards in the room. "Please escort the gentleman out of the castle." Impa grabbed me by my elbow and opened the door, taking me out. The two guards outside began walking back to the ball room. I looked back at Link and he had removed his mask now, looking at me with a smirk.

"I'll be waiting." He mouthed. I gulped and Impa continued walking me down the hall. 

Back in the ball room, Impa told the guests that I was okay and I only suffered a light black out due to the cold I was suffering from. She also reassured the guests of the boy who dared ask for a dance with the Princess was escorted out of the castle for additional reassurance.

"Please accept my apologies." I spoke from my throne. "I feel horrible that you had to witness me in such a weak state, but I assure you all that I am feeling well and that the ball will still continue." Much of the crowd whispered among themselves while shooting glances at me. I signaled the band and orchestra to start playing again and after an awkward moment of the dance floor being unoccupied, it slowly began to fill up with dancers.

The rest of the night I spent sitting one throne, thinking about the electric blue eyes and the smirk that said,

"I'll be waiting for you." Had he intended to take me away from the first place?

I started to recount the moments when we spoke about his leaving and him asking me to leave with him. He wouldn't push the subject matter on to me, allowing it to slip away. This time however, he was firmly grasping the idea and kept dangling it in front of me, and I was like a fish looking at bait.

"I'll take you everywhere." His words echoed in my mind.

I could go outside. See the sun rise from the horizon, feel the grass through my fingers, hear the birds sings and see the wildlife. I could be.. Free.

No, you can't, Zelda. You're a Princess. You have a country to run and people to lead. How much chaos would run through the town when word gets out that I've disappeared?

But the word wouldn't get out. Impa's paranoia wouldn't allow it. She wouldn't let the word get out of the castle walls. The townspeople wouldn't know that I had disappeared and would continue to live their carefree lives. Impa wouldn't want any potential evil coming if they heard that the Princess of Hyrule had disappeared.

"Thank you all for joining us at our Seventeeth Annual Spring Ball. I bid you all a good night and farewell my lovely guests." The guests exited the castle in an orderly fashion, conversing about how different this year's ball was.

I was taken back to my room by Impa, who remained silent about the whole ordeal with Link being the Hero's reincarnate. Once in my room, I was visited by Cela and Ceramine, who brought me into the restroom to strip me out of my costume and dump me into my bath, washing all the products off my face and hair.

The bubble bath was great, the bubbles popping on my skin and relaxing my tense muscles. I have to enjoy these bubbles while they last. I gave a relaxed sigh and the girls were talking about the ball and about the handsome wolf masked boy who dared to come ask for a dance.

"Kya~ he was so dreamy." Carmine sighed dreamily.

"Carmine!" Cela scolded her. I couldn't help but giggle. They continued to talk about the ball until they finished their duties and left me in night gown as they bid me good night.

"Good night ladies." I smiled and noticed that late dinner has been served. I eat as much as I can, looking for some materials as I did. A piece of paper and a pencil as I wrote a message I would leave for Impa.

I've made my choice.

I made my bed, leaving the note on the pillow. I change out of sleeping gown and hang it back up, digging my normal clothes out of corner of my closet. I changed, locked my door and changed my hair color and eye color. I unlocked the bookcase and pulled it open, opening my door to freedom.


End file.
